Snow board



C. E. HAGEN July 25, I967 SNOW BOARD Filed June 16, 1965 INVENTOR. C FIRL E. HHG; EN

FITTORNEY United States Patent 3,332,697 SNOW BOARD Carl E. Hagen, 401 Fairfield Beach Road, Fairfield, Conn, 06430 Filed June 16, 1965, Ser. No. 464,356 8 Claims. (Cl. 280-12) The invention relates to a snowboard for riding a snow covered hill or slope in erect position somewhat similar to surfboard riding. This snowboard is constructed with avcentral portion and upwardly extending forward and rear portions so that for straight downhill running, the board is guided straight by forward ridge or runner means. The board has a central ridge on the bottom of the rear portion so that the board can be steered by rocking the board so as to lift the front and most of the central portion of the board above contact with the snow and by tilting the rear portion of the board either down left or down right. When so tilted, left and right turns can be made. Two forms of the board are illustrated and described.

It is an object of the invention to construct a snowboard for straight downhill running with the central portion of the board fiat on the snow. The board can be rocked to raise the front end and left and right turns can be made by laterally tilting the rear end of the board when the front end is in raised position.

A further object is as above and in addition to provide straight rib or runner means at the forward end.

Another object of the invention is to construct a snowboard as above but with rearwardly and outwardly and preferably oppositely curved guide ridges on the bottom of the rear portion of the board to assist in turning the board right or left.

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating tWo forms of the construction in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one form of the board;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the board of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the rear end of another form of the board having two oppositely curved ribs or runners;

FIG. 4 is a view of the rear end of the board of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the board of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of FIG. 3 showing lateral tilting of the board for making a left turn;

FIG. 7 illustrates a form of boot binding for more securely anchoring the boots of the rider to the snowboard.

A satisfactory board has been made and used which is about five feet long and 13 inches wide with a center portion 10, which is straight longitudinally and flat laterally. The central portion may have a small curvature laterally. The board has an upwardly inclined front portion-11, and an upwardly inclined rear portion 12. These front and rear portions are shown connected or merging with the central portion by arcs although this is not essential though desirable between the central and rear portions. The front portion should be high enough to breast fairly deep snow and in the board illustrated, the edge of the front end is about 12 inches from the bottom of the board and is shown as extending at an angle of about 45 degrees although a considerable range of angularity such as between 25 and 75 degrees is permissible. The front end preferably has guide means in the form of a pair of spaced ribs or ridges 15 which are carried by the bottom of the front portion and extend over a relatively short length of the bottom of the central portion such as four or more inches. These guide ribs should not extend rearwardly on the central portion so far as to require substantial lifting of the front of the board to bring them above contact with the snow surface. Although two such "ice ribs are shown, one is sufiicient for guiding the snowboard straight down the slope. Two such front ribs spaced apart give some additional stability to hold the board flat without tilting on a straight downhill run. Narrow ribs extending outwardly from the bottom surface about A of an inch has been used as well as runners about one inch wide and with greater height in which the former offers less resistance on downhill running.

The inclined rear portion of the snowboard of FIGS. 1 and 2, has tilt means, shown as a single longitudinally extending centrally located rib 16, projecting from the bottom thereof which rib may extend forwardly over a portion of the bottom surface of the center portion 10 to assist in securing a straight run down a slope. The minimum angle of the rear portion is about 10 degrees and a maximum angle of about 45 degrees and a desirable angle is about 25 degrees. The angle should be large enough to give the board sufficient fore and aft rock to lift the front of the board off of the snow and not so large that it is awkward for the rider.

Preferably suitable means are provided to receive the sole of the boots of the rider as he stands on the board with one foot on the rear portion and the other foot on the center portion of the board and laterally located so that the weight of the rider is normally on the longitudinal center line of the board. Any form of foot restraining means is useful. A ridged mat, such as of rubber, has been used although better footing is helpful in riding the board. The means illustrated in FIG. 7 is a pair of brackets 17 providing a generally H shaped recess means to receive at least the sole and preferably the heel as Well of each boot. The brackets are positioned for greatest ease or comfort of the rider, one on the rear inclined portion and one on the center portion at or approximately at the longitudinal center line. For the rear bracket, the H would be directed at a slight angle from crosswise of the board and the forward bracket 18 would probably be at an angle of about 30 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board. These brackets or the recess means will be spaced longitudinally and positioned to the desires of the rider.

The board is used by placing the sole and heel of each boot in its recess means and directing the board downhill with the central portion flat on the snow surface. If it is desired to turn left, the weight of the body is shifted to the rear foot sufiiciently to rock the board and raise the front end of the board upwardly off of the snow and the board rides on the curvature of the board between the central and rear portions. In this position by pressing laterally or shifting weight to the heels or toes, the board tilts on the central rib 16 so that the edge of the board also contacts the snow. For a left turn, the board is tilted laterally to bring the left edge of the board into contact with the snow. If a right hand turn is desired, the pressure of the feet or boots is exerted on the right side to tilt the board so that it rides on the center rib 16 and the right hand edge of the board. When it is desired to again make a straight run, the weight is shifted on to the forward foot to bring the center portion of the board into contact with the snow.

Improved turning is secured with the construction illustrated in FIGS. 3 to '6. The front portion of the board may be as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the change made is in the rear portion. In this construction, steering rib means are provided shown as a pair of ribs which begin from a point at least where the surface of the center portion and the arcuate surface merge and at or approximately at the center longitudinal axis of the board and angle rearwardly and outwardly over the bottom of the rear portion to a point at or close to its respective edge of the board. Preferably the ribs are curved. The

ribs may extend forwardly over a portion of the bottom surface of the center portion but here they are parallel for minimum resistance against the snow and to assist in straight running as a part of the guide means. The rib 20 is on the right hand side of the board and the rib 21 is on the left hand side with the bottom facing down.

There is also a central bulge 22 between the steering ribs which rises from a point such as point 23 where the bottom curve begins to the rear edge of the board. The bulge could start forwardly of this point. lit is desirable, however, that this bulge not extend below the level of the bottom surface of the central portion in order to reduce snow resistance on a downhill run. This bulge extends downwardly below or beyond the horizontal level of the ribs, that is, the steering rib means are above the central bulge on the rear portion so that the board may be laterally tilted to bring one of these steering ribs into contact with the snow surface. The bulge may be formed or shaped in any suitable manner, however, a simple form is to have laterally straight bottoms for the bottom surface of the rear portion but angled upwardly and oppositely from the center line to the outer edge. An angle in the neighborhood of 8 degrees is sufficient.

This board is used in the same manner as described for the board of FIG. 1. However, instead of using the outer edge of the board for a turn, the angularly extending, or in its preferred form the outwardly curved steering rib in contact with the snow assists in making the turn. When the rear of the board is rocked to depress the rear portion so that the front end is raised and the board tilted so that it rides on the center bulge 22 and the left or right steering rib, a turn is made. FIG. 6 illustrates a lateral tilt to the left to make a left turn. With the board of FIGS. 3 to 6, some effective braking is secured by solely rocking the board and sufiiciently so that the rear portion 12 is flat or relatively fiat on the snow whereupon the opposing curved ribs 20 and 21 serve somewhat as a snow plow. In addition, the rear edge of the board tends to dig into the snow and assist the braking action.

In both constructions of board, it is desirable to use an anchor belt or cord so that if the rider falls off of the board, the board does not run away down the hill and endanger people on the slope in the path of the board. Such an anchor means may be suitably attached at the back of the board and to the belt of the rider. This anchor means may assist the rider in giving greater stability on the board by keeping the anchor means taut.

The board may be made of suitable material such as wood, veneers of many compositions, plastic, metal and the like. The ribs on the first construction made were about one inch wide and projected below the surface about one inch although these dimensions have considerable latitude. Steel edges may be used on the ribs and on the edges of the board in the construction of the FIGS. 1, 2. It was learned that narrow ribs gave better guiding qualities and presented less resistance to the snow.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a snow board. It is understood that various modifications in structure as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates the preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

1. A snow board comprising a board having a flat central portion and an inclined front portion extending upwardly at an angle between about 25 and degrees and an inclined rear portion extending upwardly at an angle between about 10 and 45 degrees, the rear portion being substantially straight longitudinally, foot restraining means carried by the upper surface of the fiat central portion and the inclined rear portion and spaced apart a straddle distance for the rider, and tilt means on the bottom surface of at least the rear portion extending longitudinally and on the longitudinal central axis of the board, said tilt means including a downward extending portion and providing a maximum lateral angle in the neighborhood of eight degrees between a plane passing through the bottom lateral edges of the rear portion and a plane passing through one of said bottom lateral edges and the lowest point on said downward extending portion.

2. A snow board as in claim 1 in which the bottom surface of the rear portion is straight longitudinally and laterally and the tilt means is a downwardly projecting rib.

3. A snow board as in claim 2 including guide means at the forward end and on the bottom surface of at least one of the portions including the forward and center portions.

4. A snow board as in claim 1 in which the tilt means on the bottom surface of the rear portion is a central bulge, and including a steering rib on each side of the central bulge, said rib extending angularly rearwardly and outwardly towards its edge of the board and the steering ribs being about the level of the central bulge.

5. A snow board as in claim 4 in which the steering ribs curve outwardly.

6. A snow board as in claim 4 in which the central bulge is formed by outwardly inclined and laterally straight bottom surfaces.

7. A snow board as in claim 6 in which the steering ribs are arcuate in form on the bottom of the rear portion.

8. A snow board as in claim 7 in which the steering ribs begin on the bottom surface of the central portion at or adjacent to the longitudinal center line and are parallel on this portion and begin to curve outwardly approximately where the bottom surface of the central portion merges with the bottom surface of the rear portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,139,513 12/1938 Nelson et al 280--18 3,056,148 10/1962 Abbott et al 931O 3,212,787 10/1965 Werntz 28011.13

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON BUCHLER, Examiner.

L. D. MORRIS, AssistanLExaminer. 

1. A SNOW BOARD COMPRISING A BOARD HAVING A FLAT CENTRAL PORTION AND AN INCLINED FRONT PORTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN ABOUT 25 AND 75 DEGREES AND AN INCLINED REAR PORTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN ABOUT 10 AND 45 DEGREES, THE REAR PORTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LONGITUDINALLY, FOOT RESTRAINING MEANS CARRIED BY THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE FLAT CENTRAL PORTION AND THE INCLINED REAR PORTION AND SPACED APART A STRADDLE DISTANCE FOR THE RIDER, AND TILT MEANS ON THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF AT LEAST THE REAR PORTION EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AND ON THE LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS OF THE BOARD, SAID TILT MEANS INCLUDING A DOWNWARD EXTENDING PORTION AND PROVIDING A MAXIMUM LATERAL ANGLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF EIGHT DEGREES BETWEEN A PLANE PASSING THROUGH THE BOTTOM LATERAL EDGES OF THE REAR PORTION AND A PLANE PASSING THROUGH ONE OF SAID BOTTOM LATERAL EDGES AND THE LOWEST POINT ON SAID DOWNWARD EXTENDING PORTION. 